AWD

Ferrari's first four-wheel-drive car proves quite the wonder.

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Story: Michael Crenshaw

Photography: Andrew Link

As the sun crested over the horizon—a big, blazing ball of blinding fire that somehow still held my gaze—the pavement was going by in a pre-coffee induced blur, to the sounds of a 651 horsepower V12 humming in seventh gear a few feet in front of my sneakers and the story of how our beautiful passenger once kicked a guy so hard in the groin, his testicle came out. More on that later.

The last word in high-performance sedans sits for its studio pictures.

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Do we really need a reason to post these glamour studio shots of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG? It's a 550 (or 577) horsepower super sport sedan and wagon that, thanks to all-wheel-drive, will outgrip most sports cars in any weather. It may just be the ultimate answer for the question, "If I could only have one car for the rest of my life, what would it be?"

And honestly, the looks are starting to grow on us. Or maybe it's just that these pictures make it look so damn good.

The big cat finally grows claws on all four feet.

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It’s a little-known fact outside the automotive industry, but these days, a luxury brand can’t be successful unless they sell all-wheel-drive cars. Since modern technology enables AWD to be installed in most cars without much in the way of a weight or space penalty, the average consumer sees it as a way of doubling a car’s usability with zero fuel economy or packaging downside—and while economy car customers might wince at adding $1000 or more to the price of their car, to butcher a Kanye line, what’s one or two grand to a Bimmer buyer like me?